Säntis Cask Strength Peated Whiskey: It’s Like Being Stroked by a Smoky Panda Wearing Silk Gloves.

This week we’ve brought you one hell of a voluptuous Swiss whiskey that is sure to eternally satisfy all you smoky whiskey lovers. So without further a due, let us present to you Säntis Single Malt Peated Whiskey. An individualist, a nonconformist, a lone wolf flying the flag high for Switzerland and, for us, a whiskey which gave us that well needed kick in to the world of the peated whiskey.

We first came across this palatable heavyweight on a stopover in Zurich on our way to China. After plonking ourselves at the dubiously quiet hotel bar, we asked the barman to ply us with as much Swiss alcohol as was readily available. So with a quick spin of his heel, the barman gingerly cherry picked a bottle from his back bar and presented us with this bloody treasure. And what a bloody treasure it was, it is such a rapturous, smoky little bleeder that it left us reeling in our chair! But due to an early morning flight and the fact we had already lost our damn passport twice before leaving England, we thought it was best to wait and fully immerse ourselves in this beauty when our feet where firmly back on the soil of good old Blighty. So before we get stuck into this dram like an obese man at an all you can eat buffet, let’s get down with this whiskeys facts.

Hailing from the Appenzell region of Switzerland and crowned European Whiskey of the Year 2010 in Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible, Säntis Cask Strength Peated Whiskey is distilled by Brauerei Locher who, as a historical family brewery, posses extremely old beer barrels (we’re talking decades and even centuries old here), which they use to mature the whiskey in. And it is these beer soaked barrels that have spend years upon years drinking up those delectable beer aromas, that have now enriched this exquisite tot giving it a stunning 3rd dimension of smokiness. This particular boozy Säntis family member is purely made from malt that has been twice smoked over, which is then stored in the old beer barrels that themselves have been smoked with oak wood. This process in itself is a unique one in whiskey production but the result is quite spectacular and gives this whiskey a thick and bountiful smoky aroma.

So, fact digested? Awesome, let’s get to it! And lord almighty, this peated whiskey definitely holds no prisoners! As soon as you get your nose stuck in this will brings you to your knees! Bold, smouldering apple-wood glides it’s way up your nostril, filling your senses with more smoky exhilaration than our oh so cherished British BBQ could ever offer. Waltzing it’s way up behind with pure finesse is hits of charcoal and whispers of peat, rounded off perfectly with a malty sweetness that add such intricacy to this utter Swiss heart throb. It’s got an enticing freshness to it too. Aromas are bold but also elegant and nimble, drawing you in further and further with every inhalation.

But it’s the taste of this whiskey that will really make you feel like all your barbarous fantasies have come true. We were simply like; Jesus Christ, this is good! To the point that we’re even tempted to start selling off family members so we can keep this whiskey eternally flowing through our now perpetually addicted veins! Tidal waves of smoke initially burst their way onto your tongue with such assertiveness and sheer satisfaction that you can’t help but continually quaff the stuff until your bodily make up is 99% Säntis! But this is where the fun really happens, where the flavours of this bloody dreamboat really start to unravel like a badly knitted jumper from your Nan! Oaky goodness fills your mouth, pairing up with murmurs of dried fruit; prunes, figs, and an array of gutsy spices that are so subtle but oh so endearing. Just when you’ve thought the flavours had cascaded to the finish line, a snakey hit of vanilla worms it’s way in, holding hands with a wonderful malty punch that balances out this fella like a damn pro. And the smoothness, heaven above the bloody smoothness; it’s simply captivating! It’s like your throat is being stroked by a panda wearing silk gloves!

But what we love about this whiskey is that it has an oh-so brave and stand-alone character that pulls you in like a freaking lasso! You think all the flavours have fully developed but them BAM, another sashays itself in, littering your tongue which such elegant flavours and spices that it wouldn’t surprise us if we walked in on you proposing to the damn stuff! And the smokiness, holy hell; it really is something else! We also love that it stands out on it’s own. It’s not afraid to be itself, to be Swiss. Situated outside of the most recognised whiskey producing countries it hasn’t followed suit of the Irish, Scottish or the Americans. It’s gone out on it’s own, seeked it’s own identity and created it’s own personality and it’s own taste. And that you have to applaud, and applaud we will. Top work. Top spirit.

Pick yourself up a bottle here

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